Stolen Memory
by Unqualified Nuclear Physicist
Summary: Spyro remembers facing Malefor alone. But what if he had help? What if someone has stolen his memories and replaced them with falsehoods? Follow Spyro as his memories slowly return to him in a chain of events starting with him meeting Cynder for the second time.
1. Alone

**Feel free to skip the notes in each chapter. They're outdated.**

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Spyro dragged his paws along the cobbled streets of Warfang, not really paying attention to his surroundings, not knowing where he was really going. He had nowhere to be right now, the guardians had called off classes for the day. The purple saviour welcomed the respite, but at the same time cursed it. It was a time when he could relax, but also a time when he was most alone and left to his thoughts.

Spyro had single-handedly saved the dragon realms and beyond from Malefor, earning the title 'purple saviour', using his newfound powers and under the guidance of the guardians. It was when he had returned to the great dragon city after pulling the world back together that he realised how truly alone he was. He had only ever had Sparx, his older dragonfly brother, and now that he was in a city surrounded by happy couples and other young dragons he noticed how truly alone he was.

There were other dragons his age, but they didn't often spend time with him. To them, he was the revered saviour of the realms, an icon, a legend even, and certainly not someone you could just walk up to and become friends with. But that was the problem; that's exactly what he was. He wanted people to approach him, he wanted a normal life.

His early years had been spent believing he was a dragonfly, his later years as the only dragon of his age, prophesised dragon of legend, destined to bring low Malefor with the assistance of the guardians…

There was something strange about that when he thought about it. Malefor had only enlisted the apes, no one else, and yet he still struck fear into the hearts of dragons across the realms. Surely he had something other than apes to help him?

 _Oh, and grublins,_ he thought to himself bitterly.

But even they surely weren't enough to pose any sort of threat to the dragons? Great hulking beasts who could fly and spew lethal flames, and ice, and electricity, and shift the very earth itself. Surely they of all beasts could handle a few small, furred creatures without any real difficulty.

 _Unless… unless Malefor had something else up his sleeve that I never saw… or don't remember seeing. I could have sworn there was something else._

"Ah, young Spyro, I thought you were off to see your friends?"

Spyro jumped and looked up to find Ignitus standing before him. Lost in his own thoughts he had wound his way back to the temple out of habit. He cursed himself for not paying more attention. He tried to avoid the temple when he had free time to make it look like he was off enjoying himself or relaxing instead of moping around. He couldn't begin to imagine what the guardians would do if they found out.

 _Nothing I would like, surely._

He noticed Ignitus looking at him expectantly and realised he had slipped off again. Stumbling to put together a quick reply, he said something he instantly regretted, "Friends?"

Ignitus stared blankly back at Spyro, unsure if he had just heard correctly. "Come again, Spyro? Are you telling me you have no friends at all? Not one?" His tone was a mixture serious, shocked, and unsure.

Spyro glared at his paws, berating himself for the slip. He let out a long sigh, and shook his head glumly.

 _It had to come out eventually I guess._

Ignitus' expression was appalled and Spyro felt momentarily self-conscious until Ignitus resumed speaking; seemingly to himself, "My, my. My _only_ student, and I fail to notice something so terrible." He looked back to Spyro and took a few tentative steps forward. Spyro looked up at his mentor's movement, "I'm sorry Spyro, I failed you. Come with me, I will sort this out."

Spyro nodded mutely, not trusting himself to speak. Part of him wished the fire guardian would just leave him be, but deep down he knew that Ignitus only wanted to help. _it may be for the best_. He thought with a hint of joy.

"Ah, Spyro! How horribly, terribly, unfortunate it is you should feel th-"

"Yes, yes, Volteer. Hold that waggling tongue of yours for just a minute while the rest of us _civil_ folk discuss matters with a little more… calmness," Cyril interrupted.

"Hmm," Terrador rumbled, "What do you think Ignitus, for I think there is a simple solution to this."

"Indeed, old friend, a simple solution is at hand," Ignitus confirmed.

Spyro just looked between the guardians, both exasperation and amusement directed at Volteer and Cyril, who had descended into their usual bickering, and interest yet confusion directed at Ignitus and the earth guardian.

Spyro's confusion deepened further when Ignitus turned away from him instead of explaining his plans, murmuring quietly to Terrador. The earth guardian gave a low chuckle and glanced briefly at Spyro. With an almost evil pair of smiles, the two great dragons turned to Spyro, and it took all of his willpower not to wilt under their amused gazes.

"Come, young one, your future friends await." Ignitus said in a cheery tone. Spyro thought he heard him mumble something about _and potential love interest_ to himself, but it was so quiet he brushed it off as his imagination. Ignitus wouldn't say that sort of thing.


	2. Confrontation

**Original A/N: I (proudly?) present chapter 2! I am currently rewriting it (some of the scenes just aren't quite right), but it has been edited so it isn't too bad for now. If you like long chapters, don't fret, they're getting longer as I go. Enjoy.**

 **Edit: I present the almost total rewrite of chapter two. Thanks a heap to my reviewers. If not for all of you I never would have even noticed half the errors I fixed (or tried to) in this rewrite. It's still not perfect, but I think it's an improvement. Unfortunately, I might be biased. :P**

 **Feel free to review or PM me with any suggestions. Enjoy!** ****

Ignitus led Spyro through the winding streets of Warfang, away from the temple and more luxurious buildings toward the outskirts of the large city. Spyro had never been this close to the Warfang walls, with the exception of when he had defended the city from the grublin siege all that time ago, but he tried not to think about that. He had heard that the outskirts were very nice though, especially during the springtime. There were parks, ponds and beautiful cottage-like buildings where dragons and moles had taken up residence.

His eyes were drawn from the smooth road to the buildings and dragons around him. Spyro couldn't help but smile at the warm greetings sent his way as he absorbed the intricate architecture around him. He couldn't entirely work out why Ignitus was taking him this way. Surely there would be other dragons his age in the centre of Warfang, but followed along anyway. The older dragon knew what he was doing.

"Are there more dragons out this way Ignitus?" He asked.

"hmm? Oh no, no. There are dragons all over the city, I just thought the dragons out this way were a…" He paused as he searched for the right wording, "better fit."

Spyro nodded and resumed trailing along as the fire guardian resumed his walk, a new spring to his step. He was finally about to meet some other dragons his age!

Several minutes later, as he admired a particularly interesting mural of a great earth dragon who seemed to be making something large and city-like, Spyro nearly ran into Ignitus when he came to an abrupt halt. Spyro was jolted out of his thoughts and looked around to find himself in a large park, lush green grass and tall pines on all sides. He could see dragons of all ages running or walking around in all directions. It was a scene of pure bliss and it made him wonder how he could have missed such a place in all his time in the city.

Some of the younger dragons seemed to notice their presence as they stopped what they were doing and turned to stare dumbfounded in equal amounts between the guardian and the purple dragon. It was immediately obvious that they didn't often see such legendary dragons.

Recovering from their initial shock flocks of dragons, ranging from barely a few years old to Spyro's age, some even older, ran over to the pair. Ignitus was quick to sate the curiosity of the younger dragons, the ones much younger than Spyro himself, sending them back out to play with broad smiles. Many of the older dragons turned to follow, but Ignitus gave a cough and beckoned them back.

Exchanging curious glances, the scaled beasts lumbered towards the great fire dragon.

"Young dragons, I would like you all to meet Spyro." Spyro almost melted under the sudden attention he was receiving, and by the time he had turned back to glare at Ignitus he had disappeared. Amused by the guardians antics, yet silently fuming at the abrupt exit, he returned his attention back to the dragons around him. He offered a half-hearted smile, some of the dragons returned it, others just snorted and walked off.

Spyro stood uncomfortably as the dragons around him continued to stare. He began to seek out someone he thought would be friendly, but not awed by his presence.

The dragons around him pressed closer, their reverence becoming replaced by childish curiosity. Spyro's eyes flicked over the crowd, no one caught his eye.

The crowd drew closer once more; Spyro began searching frantically, his eyes darting back and forth. Surely there was someone who wouldn't feel threatened or awed in the presence of the purple dragon. Maybe even someone who saw him as an equal.

The dragons around Spyro drew a single step closer in unison. Then, like a dam opening its floodgates, questions poured forth from the maws of over thirty dragons at once. Spyro shrank into himself, but none of the dragons seemed to notice; too occupied asking their strange questions to notice that they weren't going to get a response.

Suddenly, a female voice cut through the tumult, "Give him some room! All you bumbling baboons are going to give the poor dragon nightmares."

The noise died down at once, all dragons turning to look at something out of Spyro's vision.

"Who are you calling baboons?" shouted a large ice dragon.

"Nightmares? Like you can talk. You're the terror of the skies; you've probably given more people nightmares than all of us combined!"

Just like that, all attention was redirected from Spyro to the stranger. Seeing his chance, he made a mad dash through the ring of dragons. Most of them ignored him, too caught up glaring at his unidentified saviour to stop him.

Finally free, Spyro turned and found himself frozen to the spot. There, glaring back defiantly at over thirty dragons, many far bigger than her, was a jet-black dragoness.

She seemed so familiar, like a friend from a past life. Yet still Spyro couldn't place her. Nowhere in his memories did he remember ever meeting with the dragoness, and yet just by looking at her, he felt as if they shared an unbreakable bond.

 _Probably just thinking what you want to think, Spyro._ He thought to himself dejectedly. _If there is a dragoness you would remember, it's her._

"Me. Give people nightmares? When?"

"When?" one of the dragons asked, emitting a harsh bark of laughter. "How about when you were all big, and evil and stuff. Back when you served the dark master and murdered hundreds of innocents?"

Cynder didn't show any visible reaction. It was almost as if she was used to such accusations. Spyro couldn't begin to imagine how hurt she must feel.

"I don't know why you all keep accusing me of that. I never raised a claw to another dragon. Not once. You're all deceived." Cynder continued to glare, a renewed edge to her tone.

Somehow, and without warning, every dragon charged the black dragoness at once. Snarls of anger ripped from throats, and elements filled the air. Spyro had to do something! He couldn't just stand and watch as she was pelted with attacks for no reason.

Without a second thought, he sprinted forward, throwing himself in the dragons' path with reckless abandon. Loosing an enraged roar, Spyro confronted the stampeding dragons head on. _No one_ hurt someone else for no reason.

Yet still, in a dark recess of his mind, Spyro had a nagging thought. A thought that told him: had it been anyone else, he never would have done this. He pushed it to the side; he could deal with moral issues later. After he had finished dealing with these bullies. He had seen enough in the dragoness' eyes to know that she didn't do the things she was being accused of. That didn't explain why everyone else thought she had though.

There were gasps of surprise and glares of contempt, but they all were merely a thin veil to cover their profound confusion. Why would _the_ purple dragon defend an evil dragoness he had never _met_ with his _life_? The dragoness behind him seemed equally shocked.

"Get back," Spyro hissed.

"Traitor!" a dragon roared from within the mass of bodies. There were rumbles of agreement. Emerging from the mass, a large, powerfully built earth dragon strode towards Spyro. He held himself proudly, seemingly oblivious to the eyes on his back. Either he was of noble heritage, or he had one hell of an ego.

"I should have known all along that you were in league with _Cynder_ ," the earth dragon spat.

Spyro tensed up, preparing a tongue-lashing to match the dragon's venom but Cynder beat him to it. This dragon had just managed to insult both him _and_ Cynder in one go.

"Go away Quake. This is not the time to accuse me of something I didn't do. Why don't you come back tomorrow?"

"This is the perfect time to accuse you of things," he shot back. "I _saw_ you kill my parents. I was hardly four at the time, forced to cower under my own bed to avoid your wrath." He glared at Cynder with such hatred that Spyro couldn't help but believe him. He couldn't imagine this dragoness doing what they said she had done, but he couldn't say he knew her very well either and the hate in Quake's eyes was hard to miss.

"Quake, no matter how many times you accuse me, the response will always be the same: I don't remember ever leaving Warfang, and nor do I remember bringing harm to even a single dragon. I don't know why you think I killed your parents. I don't know why you all think I killed hundreds. What I do know, is that I'm sick of it. Why don't you all find someone else to pick on?"

"I know you killed my parents Cynder and I won't rest until I have my revenge. You can't fool me with your lies."

Cynder seemed torn between lashing out at Quake and ignoring him. Spyro intervened.

"She's not lying," He said, "I believe Cynder and anyone who disagrees has to go through me first to get to her." He stared hard into Quake's eyes, locking them in a competition of will. Eventually Quake looked away with a grunt.

"Fine," Quake said, "Just wait until she admits to it. How stupid you'll feel then." Without looking back, Quake left, several dragons following after him.

As if he had been some sort of leader, the group peeled away, heading off to different parts of the park. Some left altogether, likely having had too much excitement for one day. Most glared daggers at Spyro and mumbled curses, but some looked at him with newfound respect. It took real courage to support a stranger.

"Are you alright?" Spyro asked turning to Cynder.

She ignored his question. "Did you just… stand up for me?"

"Of course. No one deserves to be attacked without reason."

"But, you hardly know me," Cynder continued, "You don't even know I'm telling the truth. For all you know I cou-"

"No," Spyro insisted. "I might not have met you before but I trust you. Don't ask why, there's just… something about you. You seem so familiar. I feel like I know you, but I know I don't at the same time."

Cynder was seemingly at a loss for words.

Spyro continued the conversation for her, "Spyro."

"Cynder…" she murmured back. "I… feel like I know y-"

"Cynder!" a sudden voice called, "There you are."

"Uh, hi Flame."

"Is that _the_ purple dragon?" Flame asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone.

Spyro couldn't help but straighten slightly. "Certainly is," Cynder replied.

"No way…" Flame breathed. Then, turning away, he called out, "Ember! Get over here, it's the purple dragon."

There was a squeal somewhere in the distance and seconds later a blur of pink crashed into Spyro's side. He hit the grass and the air left his lungs. For a moment he struggled to breathe and eventually he felt the weight pulled off his side. He vaguely heard what sounded like a scolding.

Cynder hauled him to his feet and he turned his attention to the fire dragons before him.

Flame spoke, "Sorry about that…" he stopped, eyeing Spyro expectantly.

"Spyro," He filled in.

"Spyro, right. Sorry about that Spyro. Ember tends to get a little over-excited about some things." Spyro turned to the dragoness by his side. She seemed so shy yet also full of excitement. "She always wanted to meet the purple dragon."

"Hi." She offered.

Spyro just nodded.

"Well. Looks like we're all here now." Cynder turned to him, "Spyro, welcome to the gang."


	3. Meeting

**Welcome to Chapter three. I quite like some parts of this chapter, but other parts just wouldn't let me write them properly. Feel free to let me know what you think. Either way, enjoy!**

 **Side-note: If you read chapter two prior to 19-7-2017 (d-m-y) then please go reread it. I have made a few changes that will affect the direction of the story. I won't force you to, but I certainly recommend it.**

Spyro followed closely behind Cynder as they moved through the park to what she promised was a 'quiet, shaded spot' near a small pond. He tried to ignore the highly amused smirks of the fire dragons behind him. Was he making it that obvious? He had a moment of pause, almost tripping over his own feet, when he noticed where his eyes were directed. He quickly repositioned his gaze upwards, and just in time too, as Cynder came to a halt and sat down, turning to face the others as she did.

Spyro sat down and shuffled around so that he was in front of, yet still somewhat next to, the black dragoness. Flame sat across from him and Ember across from Cynder leaving a small, clear space between them.

Spyro noticed Cynder looking at him curiously and reluctantly turned to face her, hoping his eyes wouldn't betray anything. He swallowed nervously when her smile seemed to widen, though his nervousness became concern when her smile suddenly morphed into a frown.

"So… Spyro. Why did you come to this park of all parks? Surely there are better places to meet than here?"

"Meet who?"

"Who? Who do you think? Your friends, of course." Spyro could almost see Cynder smacking her face with her paw.

"Don't mind Cynder, Spyro. Maybe you could tell us about yourself; see if that helps." Spyro nodded to Ember, missing entirely the friendly glare from Cynder who had worked out Ember's real thoughts.

"Well, I've been here in Warfang for…" Spyro counted off the months on his claws, "five months, I think. I've spent most of my time training with the guardians. I can't help but wonder why I'm their only student, they would make great students at the academy… teachers I mean. Anyway, in my spare time I usually just wander Warfang. No one hangs out with me-" Cynder muttered something under her breath. "So I see plenty of the city. I only really noticed today how big the city really must be. I've seen so much, yet so little at the same time. Today though, I was caught by Ignitus; accidentally told him what I do with my time, and here I am."

"So in all this time, you've made no friends and you haven't even searched most of Warfang? Really? I only got to go 'adventuring' on my own a few weeks ago and in that time I've seen more than half of Warfang, _and_ made some friends. And I'm not even the purple dragon! How long did you say you've had?" Cynder had a good point. You would expect the purple dragon himself to make friends easier than an accused murderer.

 _And yet here I am…_

Spyro didn't even notice that he had zoned out until Flame spoke, "Cynder."

She glanced at him for a moment then returned her gaze to Spyro. It was like she saw him for the first time, eyes widening and jaw falling open. "I… I. Did I just call Spyro lazy and unlikeable?"

"Perhaps not the best choice of wording, but I think so Cynder," Flame responded. His tone seemed to prompt Cynder to continue.

"I do have a point though don't I?" Spyro nodded mutely; Flame ignored him. Ember seemed to be of the same opinion as Flame when Spyro looked.

Ember stared at Cynder, and after a moment the black dragoness caught on.

"…I'm sorry." Her eyes never left the ground as she spoke.

Spyro couldn't muster a response for a few seconds, but Flame saved him the need. Rising from his position he said, "last one to the temple has to ask Volteer a question."

The dour mood was broken faster than Volteer could say "hatchling" and Spyro was up and running in a heartbeat. Cynder and Ember stood and bolted after him, calling out for him to slow down as Flame took off in hot pursuit.

He gave a short cough; 'hot'. Terrible pun.

Spyro was the first to arrive at the front doors of the temple and he breathed a sigh of relief. No way did he want a lecture from the electric guardian. Between Volteer's over-energetic ramblings, and Cyril's sheer pomposity, and Terrador's commando-style training regime, he wasn't sure what was worse.

Cynder arrived seconds after him, seeming to glide along the ground at a pace that ill-befitted her size. Not to mention her legs and wings were hardly moving. What element did she have to be able to move so fast? Then Spyro noticed her flared wings that seemed to be caught like sails in a strong breeze.

Cynder was a wind dragon! Spyro had never met a black wind dragon before, usually they were grey. Maybe she was different somehow? Spyro resolved to ask at the next opportunity.

Flame arrived shortly after, panting for breath. When Ember came up behind him, he was powerless – or rather, breathless – to stop her from overtaking him.

When they were all gathered at the front doors, Flame tried to wheeze out something that sounded a lot like, 'unfair', and Cynder eyed Spyro with interest.

"Look, the temple! I heard you had an appointment for a friendly chat with Volteer, Flame. Is it true?" Cynder teased.

Flame just offered a half-hearted glare and trundled into the looming building, mumbling all the way. They found Volteer and Cyril 'discussing matters' with each other in the great, domed foyer. They were getting increasingly irate by the second. Volteer seemed to be talking as if with multiple voices at once, and Cyril matched his energy with volume.

The group of four glanced between them uncertainly.

"So, uh, any bright ideas Spyro? You know them better than we do." Cynder asked him.

Spyro took a deep breath and began walking. When he was where he wanted to be, he gave the bemused fire dragon a sharp push and sent him skittering straight into Volteer. After a moment of silence Cynder burst out laughing at Flame's predicament. Ember, seeming unsure of whether to feel bad or join in laughing, stood there looking awkward. Spyro snickered and grinned.

"Well, what do you know, there _is_ someone who cares for your ramblings Volteer."

Volteer looked at the ice guardian reproachfully, then turned to Spyro. "You care for my intellectual sharing of invaluable information through the form of vocal communication do you not, Spyro?"

The purple dragon took a moment to decipher Volteer's high-velocity and complex sentence, then gave an unsure nod of his head. He silently prayed that Volteer would merely be grateful and not take it as an invitation to talk to him more often.

Cyril seemed to be on the verge of declaring Volteer a condescending thesaurus once and for all, but sated himself with a 'humph' and stomped off, head tilted up.

"Now then, to the matter at hand, the proverbial business if you will. How may I help you young dragon?"

Flame shuffled his paws for a moment, and Spyro thought it was nervousness until he noticed the concentration etched across his features.

"What is your name oh mighty electricity guardian?" Flame asked after a long pause, a triumphant smirk stretching his muzzle. Spyro laughed silently: _he wished!_

Volteer kicked off in his usual fast paced manner, "My name? Volteer Volt-Voltan Spark Shock, is my full name, but…"

Spyro turned his attention to the black dragoness beside him, expecting her to be pre-occupied with laughing at Flame, but instead found himself staring straight into her emerald eyes. He felt a blush forming on his cheeks at being caught, but then realised that he had caught Cynder, not the other way round.

"Uh. So…" Cynder said awkwardly.

"Yeah, I agree," Was Spyro's intelligent reply.

Spyro began scolding himself for the stupid response, but paused at the gentle smile Cynder was directing at him. Slowly, she edged towards him. Spyro was confused for a moment, what did she have to say to him that Ember couldn't also hear?

A sudden cough interrupted Cynder's approach as they found themselves confronted by the electricity guardian who had finished… lecturing, Flame.

"Whatever are you doing young dragoness? Surely anything you have to say to Spyro, we can hear too?"

Cynder looked away, a red tinge to her cheeks. Realisation washed over Spyro a moment later and he found himself unable to meet anyone's gaze. The roof was very interesting. Great work of architecture! Since when was it carved with depictions of dragons and moles?

When he finally looked back down, he found that Cynder had already recovered. Flame and Ember seemed to have clued into what had been about to happen, but Volteer, for all his intellectual brilliance, seemed unable to grasp the concept.

He jumped at a nudge to his side and saw Cynder looking at him concernedly. Flame and Ember were looking at him with various amounts of amusement; Flame looked like he was about to burst out laughing.

"Come on Spyro, let's go. I think you need some fresh air before you pass out." Cynder placed a wing over his shoulder and tenderly guided him towards the door, away from Ember, and Flame who finally couldn't hold his raucous laughing. He saw Cynder glare at the fire dragon out the corner of his eye and the laughter rapidly died down. Spyro couldn't hold back an amused smile

Outside the temple, Spyro began taking in deep gulps of fresh air, his face rapidly losing its red tinge as his nerves calmed.

For a moment, the two dragons just stood there, looking into each other's eyes as if they were divining their souls rather than their emotions. Turning away, Cynder began walking back towards the outskirts of the city. "See you Spyro. Tomorrow maybe? I'll meet you here at around lunch time, how about that?"

Spyro just nodded. He was still recovering from the awkward moment.

Flame and Ember emerged from the temple a few minutes later to find Spyro still staring down the street after Cynder.

"Still with us purple boy?" Flame asked with a smirk.

"Huh? Oh, right. Guess I'll see you both tomorrow as well?"

"Tomorrow?" Ember echoed, turning to flame with a confused expression. Flame seemed to only become more amused.

"She's really serious isn't she…"

Spyro looked between them both suspiciously as realisation struck Ember and her jaw dropped.

"You see, Ember and I have training tomorrow, which means we won't be able to meet with you," Flame started slowly.

"Yes, but not all day, surely?"

"We usually train at around lunchtime, after a late breakfast, then go to bed early and tired. I bet Cynder wanted to catch up at lunchtime, am I right?"

"Yes, actually, how did…" Spyro stuttered to a stop. "She wouldn't."

Flame chuckled and patted him on the flank, "Good luck, Spyro." And with that, the two fire dragons left the reeling dragon for home.

For a moment Spyro could only stand in shock as he processed what he had been told, then slowly turned to enter the temple and head for his room.

Cynder had just asked to meet up with him. _Alone._

He had only just met her, and yet here he was, organising what was essentially a first date.

Had Ignitus planned this? Did he know that Spyro would hit it off with Cynder so well? The purple dragon shook his head. There was no way that Ignitus could have predicted this when even Spyro himself couldn't. Heck, _Volteer_ probably didn't see this coming, and he was the hypothesis master!

Confused yet also excited, Spyro skipped off to his room, for the first time in months not fazed by the strenuous upstairs climb to the residential corridor. He was so carefree, he almost missed the great fire dragon seated at the end of the long hallway to his room.

Ignitus stood, looking out over Warfang, with a strange look in his eyes. Spyro could only wonder what he was thinking as he approached.


	4. Nightmare

**Hello and welcome to chapter 4. Also, early chapter! :D This chapter was by far the hardest to write so far, and it's only the fourth one... Constructive criticism would be much appreciated. As usual, enjoy.**

* * *

Cynder strode through the front doors of the Warfang academy. As she crossed the foyer, she gave a passing nod to the female mole behind the counter. Within a few strides, she had reached the arched opening that led to the student dorms.

"Cynder?" The receptionist called after her.

"hmm?" She turned back to the mole.

"Will you be going out again tomorrow?"

"Certainly will!"

The mole shuffled some papers. "Very well, have fun."

Cynder continued past the archway, making for a room towards the end of the hallway. She entered, her roommate casting a disapproving glare that lacked any real venom.

"I told you to knock next time."

"Next time, you say? Will do Icicle!"

'Icicle' groaned and looked away from Cynder. She heard him grumble something about his name; chose to ignore him. Cynder turned her attention to the window recessed into the far wall. She thought she saw a flash of red, but it was gone before she could be sure.

 _Must have imagined it._ She thought with a frown. With a shake of her head, she walked over to her bed - a large pillow - and settled down for the night. It was only mid-afternoon, but she didn't mind. The more sleep the better. She hoped to get a full rest tonight, free of those horrible nightmares of death and murder; screaming and chaos. She was sick of waking up panting in the middle of the night, and for once she actually needed to be rested. No way was she meeting Spyro looking like a bedraggled mess.

* * *

"Come, young Spyro. There is something we must talk about," Ignitus said.

"What is it, Ignitus?"

"Not just yet, little one. We can't talk here."

"Why not?"

"I hate to part you from your rest any longer than I must, but this is something that Cynder must hear as well."

Spyro turned questioning eyes on the great dragon. _What could Ignitus want to talk about that would involve both him_ and _Cynder?_ In the end, he just resolved to nod. All in due time.

"Come along now, Spyro. I'm sure you want to get some rest as much as I, if not more so."

Spyro nodded once more, sidling up to the fire guardian as they left the temple together. At night, Warfang was… different. Instead of being warm and welcoming, decorated with murals and bright dragons, the night-time Warfang was almost forbidding. The streets were cold and desolate; the windows shuttered and marketplaces closed.

Spyro suppressed a shudder, drawing closer to the fire dragon beside him, less for warmth than a sense of security. They soon arrived at the Warfang academy, walking through the large front doors to be greeted by warm torch-light. On the far side of the room, a middle-aged mole scribbled away on ledgers and notepads, hardly noticing their presence.

Ignitus coughed, and the mole jumped to attention. "Master Ignitus! What brings you here this late?"

"I was looking for a young dragoness named Cynder. I heard she was a student here?"

"Yes, of course. Quite the trouble-maker when she was younger. She seems to have changed a lot in the last few years though. About four years ago, I think, is when she started to change. Much more independent than ever before. I always thought she relied on others, but I guess I was wrong."

"Yes, yes." He gave an audible sigh. "I understand, but I don't have much time to waste. Could you show me to her room?" Spyro stared at Ignitus in shock. In all the time he had known him, never had he shown such impatience. It was almost like someone else was in Ignitus' body. _People change after all. But not_ that _much, surely?_

The mole seemed equally taken aback, but nonetheless showed them to Cynder's room. Giving a curt bow, she scurried off to resume her usual duties, seemingly glad to be rid of the guardian's presence.

Spyro studied Ignitus carefully. He looked the same as ever, but something seemed to have changed about him. He bore himself differently from what he remembered from before the Belt of Fire, and something in his eyes seemed to have changed. _How could I not have noticed sooner? Maybe the Belt of Fire has had more of an effect on him than he lets on._

"Ignitus," Spyro started tentatively. "did something happen? Is something going on that's worrying you?"

The fire dragon turned to Spyro, paw raised to knock on the small door. His eyes held unspoken accusation, yet also fear. He looked like he had something to hide. Spyro laughed internally at himself: _Yeah right!_

"Nothing for you to worry about Spyro," Ignitus replied slowly. Spyro thought he heard him mutter _yet,_ under his breath. Why did Spyro keep imagining Ignitus whispering unusual things to himself? He didn't know anymore.

Ignitus turned away once more, knocking firmly on the door to Cynder's shared room.

There was a grumble from within and a disgruntled looking ice dragon dragged the door open. Spyro almost felt bad for him when the ice dragon straightened up in the guardian's presence. Spyro couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like to find a guardian at your door in the middle of the night. _Not counting Terrador's "Surprise attack" tests…Those things are horrible! Being woken in the middle of the night with a hulking dragon holding his claw to your throat and whispering 'you failed; you must do better', was certainly an experience._

"Master Ignitus! What happened? Is something going on? Should I-"

"Calm, young dragon. Nothing has happened. Could I speak to Cynder?"

The young ice dragon seemed to deflate in disappointment. "Of course." The sky blue dragon stumbled off into the dark room once more, Spyro feeling another pang for the poor dragon. Getting his hopes up that something important was about to happen for him, just to find out that he wasn't the one Ignitus was after. Ignitus' expression held no such guilt, Spyro noted with mild shock.

A whole minute later, Ignitus shuffling his paws and huffing impatiently, a black dragoness arrived in the doorway to the small room. Her eyes bugged out when she saw Spyro standing there, then she seemed to regain her cool and her eyes narrowed.

"Couldn't wait to see me Spyro? It's only a few hours." Cynder winked mischievously at him and Spyro felt his temperature rise by a multiple of ten.

"Ahem," Ignitus interrupted. "As good as it is to see the two of you getting along, there are things we must discuss."

Spyro pawed at the ground; Cynder looked down the corridor, then together they followed after Ignitus as he made his way back to the entry. They stepped outside into the cold, empty Warfang streets, and Ignitus turned to them.

"Now. Spyro; Cynder, it is time we had a talk." Ignitus paused, glancing around, "I would like to hear your accounts of the recent past. Spyro, perhaps you would like to start us off. Beginning with when you met me perhaps, if only for Cynder's understanding."

Though confused by the request, Spyro recounted what he could remember of the events leading up to his return to Warfang. He told Ignitus and Cynder about rescuing Volteer, then Cyril, and then the strange occurrence when he rescued Terrador.

"Yes, Spyro? What happened when you were rescuing Terrador?"

Spyro paused, his brow furrowing in thought as he tried to recall what exactly had happened.

"I… don't know. I was there, and then I fought Steam, and Steam fell into the lava, then… Nothing. I don't remember. I guess I just saved Terrador and we got out of there… maybe Sparx would remember."

"Sparx?" Ignitus asked, genuinely confused.

Spyro eyed the guardian warily "yeah… Sparx. My brother. We went everywhere together. You're not saying you don't remember him, are you?"

"What? Of course not, young Spyro. I wouldn't forget that brother of yours."

Spyro and Cynder continued to eye him suspiciously, something was up.

"Anyway, carry on Spyro. What happened next?"

Swallowing his curiosity for the moment, Spyro resumed, "Well, then I got back with Terrador to the temple, and you were gone. I can't remember why… and Then I went to save you from Malefor's fortress in Concurrent Skies. Not sure why it was called his fortress though, he was never there. Maybe it was his before he was banished to Convexity? Either way, I found you there, and then…" Spyro scratched his head.

"And then?"

"Nothing. I don't remember at all… Why can't I remember?!" Spyro pounded his paw on the stone street furiously. He felt Cynder brush against him and turned to her. Her eyes were supportive, compelling him to continue; telling him it was alright. With a deep breath, Spyro calmed himself.

"Then… I guess I saved you from the fortress. I think something happened though, I blacked out maybe, because next thing I remember I was back at the temple. The chronicler contacted me, and then the temple was attacked. For some reason I couldn't use my elements, only fire."

"And then I sent you to find Arborick."

Spyro nodded. "I found it alright, but the tree attacked me…"

Cynder snickered. "You got attacked by a _tree_?"

Spyro just shook his head. "Anyway, then the scavengers captured me, forced me to fight in their arena. I escaped and made for The White Isle. Then the Chronicler sent me onwards to the Well of Souls. He tried to convince me to stay, but I decided to leave. I can't remember why though anymore…"

Ignitus nodded. Spyro thought he could see a trace of satisfaction in the fire guardian's features but it was hard to tell so he ignored it. Ignitus would have no reason to be pleased. If anything, he should have been worried or concerned. He sure had been acting strange lately.

"I'm sure you will remember everything soon enough. And I think that will do; I remember well enough from your previous accounts to know what happened after that." Ignitus turned to Cynder; she was eyeing Spyro with obvious worry. "Now, Cynder. Would you care to share your memories with us. I don't know you as well, so perhaps a brief history would help."

Cynder tilted her head and began speaking. Not once did her eyes leave the ground. "I was born in Warfang. Lost my parents at around four… I don't remember what happened to them. I was taken in by the Warfang academy, I've stayed there since. About three years ago, though, people started accusing me of crimes. Horrible atrocities, murders, things I had never done. I don't know why, I can't explain it. I think it has something to do with Spyro; it started happening at a similar time to when Spyro says he met you. Maybe the two are linked."

"Perhaps Cynder, but I think it might just be a coincidence." Ignitus' response was so hasty that Spyro and Cynder were momentarily stunned. It was almost like he was trying to deny what Cynder had said.

Ignitus coughed. "Well. That will be all. You may head off to bed now."

Spyro and Cynder exchanged a questioning glance. _That was it? He didn't want to hear more about Cynder or ask them anything else?_ With a sly wink to Spyro, Cynder brushed off her confusion for the moment and left for her dorm. They could always talk about it more tomorrow.

Spyro began to head for his own room, expecting Ignitus to do the same, but soon noticed that the guardian had not moved a muscle.

"Are you coming Ignitus?"

When he responded, his voice sounded distant, as if his thoughts were elsewhere. "Not just yet Spyro. There are some things I must do first. Run along now."

Spyro turned away. When his head finally reached his pillow, his thoughts were less of sleep than they were of Ignitus and Cynder. After minutes of restless turning, he drifted into an uncomfortable slumber.

* * *

"What did Ignitus want, Cynder?"

"Nothing much Frost. Asked about my past, then sent me back here again."

"That's it? No exciting requests? No interesting happenings?" Frost had eyes filled with accusation.

"I'm not hiding anything Frost," She sighed, "That's really all he wanted. Strange, isn't it?"

Frost didn't immediately respond and Cynder turned to find him looking at her incredulously. "Did you just use my name?"

"You wish, Icicle."

"humph."

Cynder settled onto her pillows with a triumphant smirk. She could discuss Ignitus' behaviour with Spyro later. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy every second she could teasing her roommate. She briefly considered pushing him to the point of requesting a room change, but discounted the idea. She would never admit it, but Frost was a cool dragon to share a room with.

Cynder fell into a peaceful slumber, the first time in months that she didn't toss and turn restlessly. Frost lay awake for several more hours, looking at Cynder in wonder. What could have happened to help her sleep so well? He was afraid he would never know.

* * *

Spyro padded cautiously along the tiled floor, a feeling of deep-seated dread at his core. He didn't want to be here, but he had to. He had to save Ignitus from… Something. His power was being drained to power a crystal and open a portal, that was all Spyro needed to know.

He had come to this lair in concurrent skies to save Ignitus, and he would do it, no matter the cost. He couldn't help but wonder whose lair it was. _Someone powerful_. He guessed. That still didn't answer his question though. Perhaps it was best left that way: unanswered and left to hang hauntingly in his thoughts.

A shadow swept across the smooth floor ahead of him and he came to a halt. It was a big shadow.

"Sheesh. Spyro, remind me next time not to follow you into creepy lairs full of evil things that want to kill us." Sparx whimpered.

"What even is that? Where is the shadow coming from?"

"You sure you want to know, ol' buddy? Cause I sure don't."

Spyro nodded in agreement.

They continued to make their way through the giant, dark-crystal-filled lair. As they went, apes and other monstrosities attempted to stop them, But Spyro made short work of them with his elements.

Eventually, they came to a circle on the ground. Not knowing what it was, Spyro took a tentative step onto it. There was a moment's pause in which nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the floor began to rise. They soon found themselves at the top of a spire of the great lair. Two other spires rose into the clouds, higher even than the one Spyro was on. Lightning flashed in the distance.

Ignitus was there. Suspended in a cage of electricity. If only he could free Ignitus before something bad happened. He began walking towards Ignitus, glancing about warily.

"Spyro?" Sparx said, "Um… Spyro?"

"What?"

"I don't like this. It feels like a trap."

Spyro stopped just short of where Ignitus was suspended.

"Spyro… destroy the crystal… quickly…" Ignitus wheezed.

"Let's get Ignitus out of here. Before anything can stop us." Spyro said.

He began approaching Ignitus once more, readying himself to do what needed to be done in order to save the fire guardian. Without warning, a great shape fell across Spyro's path. A giant black beast with evil intent. Spyro couldn't make out it's features. _Strange… shouldn't I be able to see something directly in front of me?_

The great beast reared back, then fell onto all fours once more. Spyro's vision cut to black, and he woke with sweat beading down his muzzle.

* * *

 **Second a/n because I didn't want to put this at the top and accidentally ruin the chapter. Did I miss anything from AnB or EN in Spyro's recount? I feel like I did, particularly from EN. Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it… at the start. I think it was around the fifth redraft where I started to dislike this chapter.**


	5. Date

**Chapter 5! The a/n is now at the bottom to avoid accidentally ruining the chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Spyro stood out the front of the temple, glancing nervously down the street leading from its great doors. Cynder was due to arrive at any moment. Spyro didn't know whether he was excited or anxious, but it was likely a mixture of both.

He hadn't slept well that night. He tossed and turned, confused feelings and thoughts of Ignitus and Cynder flashing through his mind. His dreams were no different, plagued with nightmares of evil beasts and chaos. He hoped he wasn't seeing premonitions as he had before the Eternal Night…

Without warning, he was knocked clean off his feet. Cynder stood before him, shining in the morning sun with such brilliance Spyro was left speechless. The reason he was on the ground, however, was beyond him. His mind seemed to be playing tricks on him.

If he had seen correctly, Cynder had jumped out of his shadow. But Cynder was a wind dragon. There was no way she had just popped out of his shadow and knocked him over. She couldn't have.

 _Must be imagining things. Her appearance was_ _sudden, but not_ that _sudden. It just doesn't make sense._

"Hi Spyro," Cynder said.

Spyro took a moment to respond. He eventually forced a single word past his confusion. "Cynder…"

The dragoness turned an amused gaze his way. "Is that all you can get out? My entrance wasn't _that_ breathtaking, was it?"

The purple dragon shook his head. "I could have sworn you just jumped out of my shadow…"

"Sure did."

"But how? I thought you were a wind dragon?"

"I am. I'm also a shadow dragon, and a poison dragon… and a fear dragon."

"And…" Spyro cautiously asked.

"And what? That's all Spyro, four elements… dark elements I shouldn't have to begin with."

"But only a purple dragon should have so many elements. So how can you use so many? And I've never even heard of those elements, except for wind."

Cynder sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it. I don't even know myself, but some people think it was… _his_ , doing."

Spyro nodded. "So. What did you want to do today?"

"Well." Cynder shuffled her paws. "I was thinking we could explore the city together. And then, later, we could sit at the park." She paused for a moment. Her next words were more reluctant, as if she was embarrassed to say them. "Watch the sun set, maybe."

Spyro quickly understood her nervousness, and blushed at the thought of sitting with Cynder as they watched the sun set. It seemed a little too… romantic, especially given that they had only just met. There was something about Cynder though. She seemed familiar; like someone he had known for a long time, and done many things with. Maybe she felt the same way?

Pushing aside his nervousness, Spyro nodded and gestured with a wing down the street. "Lead the way."

Cynder gave him a playful nudge with her hips. "Why? So you can watch my back while I walk?" She winked at him. Spyro tried to hold her gaze but failed and looked away. His blush returned in full force and he hoped his scales would hide the colour.

Cynder's voice drew his attention back from the nearest wall. "Come on Spyro, get over here."

He walked over to Cynder, and stood awkwardly at her side. He felt an urge to extend a wing over her back, but changed his mind. If it was too early to watch the sun set, it was too early to… _cover each other with their wings_? He laughed at himself. _That's the best you've got? Maybe Volteer has a word for it; he has a word for everything._

Cynder noticed his laughter. "What is it Spyro?"

"Oh. Nothing Cynder. I just remembered something that happened a while ago."

She nodded and smiled.

Together, they began to walk through Warfang. They spoke about what they usually did each day and told each other little activities they did, or pointed out interesting parts of the city. Eventually, the conversation circled round to Ignitus.

"He was acting really strange, wasn't he?" Cynder said. The question was clearly rhetorical.

"I agree. I never thought he could act that way: impatient with everyone. and the questions he asked... I don't see why he would ask about our pasts, especially now. When I returned after the war, I might have understood, but several months later? It just doesn't add up."

"I'm sure it's nothing, but still. Something doesn't feel right."

"Maybe we should ask the other guardians?" Spyro suggested

Cynder agreed without responding. They continued to walk, leaving the conversation behind them. It was their day today; not worth tarnishing with worries and suspicions. They had no proof that something was wrong with Ignitus. He may have just been stressed or tired. Still, doubts wormed in the dark corners of Spyro's mind, and he knew Cynder felt the same.

* * *

As they stood before a fountain in a small courtyard, Spyro's thoughts turned to the dream he had had the previous night. He considered sharing it with Cynder, but decided it would ruin the mood. Maybe another time. She would probably like to know about it, and Spyro had the feeling the dream had something to do with her. It was the first time he had had a dream so vivid, and it was shortly after meeting Cynder.

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Cynder tensing out the corner of his eye. Her eyes were fixed on an earth dragon on the other side of the fountain. Quake stood, glaring daggers at the pair, looking ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

"Maybe we should leave?" Spyro offered, hoping to break the tension.

"Let's. Maybe I can get his ugly eyes off my back for a while. He's been following us all day."

Spyro was shocked, but nodded. Quake had been following them around and he hadn't noticed.

As they left, Spyro dropped his voice to a murmur. "Why do you think he's following us?"

"No idea. He has made it clear that he doesn't like me. Maybe he's keeping an eye on me in case I do something, not that I would. Either way, I'm just going to ignore him."

Spyro silently agreed. They quickly found themselves in a small street. Spyro looked up at the sun to track its progress. It was well after midday.

"Want to go to the park now?"

Cynder nodded and smiled.

* * *

Spyro extended his wing across Cynder's back, trying his best to be casual. Cynder didn't seem to mind. She shuffled a little closer to his flank and together they looked to the horizon. The sun brushed its edge, golden glows being cast across the world by its fading rays.

Warfang seemed to glow as the last of the sun dropped below the horizon, plunging the world into darkness. It felt to Spyro as if he and Cynder were the only dragons in the world. He turned to her, and found her looking at him. He was reminded briefly of the day before when the same thing had happened, but this time he wasn't nervous. It was just the two of them, together; watching the sun as it faded from sight.

They held each other's gazes, and then Cynder leaned in. Without a word, she pecked him on the cheek, then rose and began to walk away. When she was a few steps away, she turned back to Spyro. "Thank you for today Spyro. I'll see you again soon."

Before Spyro could even utter a syllable, she had slipped from sight.

Spyro sat for several moments more, then headed for his room in the temple. Cynder had left so suddenly that Spyro felt… lost. She had entered into his life, caught his attention, and then kissed him, albeit on the cheek, then left. Everything was happening so fast he didn't know what to think. Part of him felt he should be happy, but everything was so confusing that he was left feeling as confused as his thoughts.

He only hoped he would see Cynder again soon, and that Ignitus was alright…

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed chapter 5. It's a little shorter than the last couple - I think it's my lack of experience with this genre. Next chapter will be up in a week or two. Feel free to let me know what you think.**


	6. Concern

**Welcome to chapter 6. A/N is at the bottom.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Cynder slunk away, waiting until Spyro was out of sight before bolting for her shared room. As she ran, her thoughts raced.

 _How could I do that to him? He's probably so confused!_ Cynder hadn't expected things to go the way they had. She had planned a day out with Spyro: something they could do to get to know one another better. It had ended up being… something else.

She still couldn't work out why she kept making such sudden advances on Spyro though. First in the temple, and now this.

 _It's that stupid voice in my head._ she concluded.

Whenever she was around Spyro, a voice entered into her head, telling her to move a little closer to him or say something a certain way. She didn't know why she followed it's instruction; perhaps it was simply too alluring to resist. The voice put thoughts into her head that she later realised were flawed. It's too late to do anything then, though, and Spyro was paying the price.

The voice seemed capable of predicting the future. It drew images of her and Spyro growing old together, getting closer as the years went by. The very idea of even being in the company of _the_ purple dragon was tempting enough. The voice made Cynder's ideals look all too possible. She just couldn't deny herself the chance to be with Spyro, when the voice made it seem so easy to achieve. So far, the voice seemed correct; Spyro was falling for her, quickly _._

 _Could it really hurt to listen to it for a little bit longer? I felt like I knew him before I even met him. Maybe I can get to know him for real._

Soon, she arrived at her room. Frost wasn't there yet so she settled on her pillows to wait. Before long, and without her realising, her mind had fallen into the realms of sleep.

* * *

Spyro sat on his pillows, recently awoken from another nightmare. He had been walking through the Belt of Fire once more, Ignitus at his side. Before long, Ignitus' strength began to wane, and he sent Spyro ahead, sacrificing himself so that Spyro might live to defeat Malefor. Spyro remembered watching as his scales darkened; remembered the feeling of terrible loss that gripped him.

Even now he wondered how Ignitus survived. His memory made it seem so impossible…

A shuffling came from the far side of his room, and Spyro whirled round, searching for the source. Terrador stepped forward into the moonlight streaming from his open window.

"Very good, Spyro. So alert that you saw me coming before I even moved! An impressive feat. I doubt even I could do such. The training seems to be working. Perhaps you are ready for something more… adept." Spyro groaned, partly from amusement at his accidental success, partly from annoyance. He didn't want to know what the earth guardian had in store in the least.

After a moment, Terrador seemed to notice Spyro's expression. Fear still lingered in his eyes as the purple dragon turned to the great dragon.

"Is something the matter, young dragon?"

Spyro wanted to say it was nothing; wanted to believe that himself, but knew it wouldn't help anyone. _Besides, maybe Terrador can help._

"It's these nightmares I've been having. It's like the night of Eternal Darkness all over again. The only difference is that this time, I don't know why I'm getting them."

A note of fear crept into his voice as he spoke. "Is it Malefor? I thought he was trapped?"

"No. It's not Malefor." Spyro saw Terrador relax slightly. "it's something else. I keep seeing things from my past. When I saved Ignitus. The Belt of Fire. I don't want to know what's next."

"Perhaps you should ask Ignitus about these dreams. He knows more about visions than I, and these dreams seem to involve him in some way. I don't believe it's coincidence, Spyro, that you are seeing these things."

"Maybe you're right. I'll ask him in the morning. I need a proper sleep. Hopefully I don't have any more nightmares…"

Nodding, Terrador bid the purple dragon good night, then left for his own room. Spyro lay awake, wondering what to ask Ignitus; wondering whether he would know the answers.

* * *

"Cynder. Cynder, wake up." An urgent whisper broke through her fear clouded mind and she jolted awake. A small blue dragon stood beside her, paw resting on her shoulder.

"Frost? What is it? Can't I get some sleep?" She cast a disapproving glare at the younger dragon.

Frost ignored the glare. There was clear concern in his eyes. "You were tossing about. Muttering something about… Gaul. Kept saying to stop. I don't know what you were dreaming, but it must have been bad." His voice seemed to prompt an answer, and Cynder sighed.

"Don't worry about it Frost. It's just another nightmare. I get them sometimes. I thought they were over now, but I guess not…"

"Cynder. That wasn't one of your usual nightmares. Usually you murmur a few things and sleep on. Tonight, it was almost like you were being attacked. What were you dreaming?"

Cynder bit back an angry retort that it was none of his business. He was only trying to help. "I… don't know, Icicle. Everything was dark. I couldn't make out anything. It was like a fog was hanging over my eyes. There were these things, they looked like apes but I couldn't be sure."

She tensed for a moment and felt Frost edge closer supportively, paw squeezing her shoulder. She tensed once more, inexplicable terror causing her to leap away from Frost. She saw the hurt in his eyes and guilt flashed through her, but her fear remained. In her dream she had been handled roughly and shackled; tortured. The feel of Frost's paw squeezing her shoulder brought back bad memories.

 _Memories? They're dreams, heck_ nightmares _, not memories. I can't afford to get them mixed up!_

eventually Cynder relaxed. She managed to regain control of her ragged breathing, and sat back down. Frost kept his distance.

"I'm sorry Frost. It's just the dream. Those things: they were rough. They tortured me, bound me in chains. It all felt so real… I can't help but wonder if maybe it really was. What if I'm seeing something that is happening to someone else? But why would I share their pain?"

Frost shushed her, seeing the difficulty she was having speaking. "It's okay, Cynder. It was just a dream. I'm sure it was nothing, but if it makes you feel better, maybe you could ask the guardians. Maybe Spyro could help too. He's had experience with visions, if that's what you're really seeing."

"Maybe… Thanks Icicle."

Cynder lay her head down on her paws, closing her eyes. She didn't relish the thought of going back to sleep, the fear of nightmares dancing at the edges of her mind.

Frost walked back over to his bed, casting a concerned glance over his shoulder as he went. She didn't know if the concern was for her, or if it was for getting a full night's sleep. It might have been both.

* * *

"Spyro…" a voice reached him in his slumber. It sounded distant, as if it came from afar. It reminded Spyro of when the Chronicler had contacted him, but it sounded different. It couldn't be the Chronicler: not the one he knew.

"Spyro. Dark times lie ahead and you must prepare to face them once more."

"Wha- What do you mean?" Spyro glanced around at the world half-formed around him. Rocks levitated in a vacuum, but Spyro found he could still breathe. Maybe it _was_ the Chronicler contacting him. He noticed the blue tinge to the rocks and the air itself and nodded. It had to be him: Spyro was certain.

"Spyro. A traitor is in Warfang. I don't know who it is yet for they have clouded my vision of them, but I know for certain they are there. It is someone close to you. You've seen them a lot lately. Yesterday, last night, and again today. Walk with caution Spyro; you don't know what they want yet."

Spyro shivered though he wasn't cold. The Chronicler's words were chilling and the voice held a familiarity that somehow made his words of caution sound like intonations of doom.

"What do I do, Chronicler?" His voice quavered.

"Spyro, I can offer little advice other than this: trust your heart, and trust those closest to you. Do not let dark thoughts cloud your vision. Alone, the world can be a harsh place, but with friends and those you care about, it can be entirely different. Let life take its course, and follow as best you can. All will be explained in time."

Spyro couldn't respond. He felt now like he had when Cynder abruptly left, but for a different reason. While then it had been confusion, it was now a mixture of dread and interest. He had to wonder what the future would hold for him; who the traitor was, but dreaded what the answer might be.

The Chronicler seemed aware that Spyro wasn't going to respond and whispered a last prayer as his voice faded from Spyro's mind. "May the Ancestors watch over you… May they watch over us all."

Spyro vaguely heard. The words struck a chord in him, but he wasn't paying enough attention to place them.

 _Someone close to me is set to betray me. He said I've spent time with them lately. It couldn't be Cynder… could it?_

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **I'm sure you have lots of questions about the characters and the plot's direction (If not, I've failed in some way), and I hope to answer them soon. The next few chapters are where – hopefully – I will begin to fill in the blanks.**

 **If you noticed any major flaws in this chapter, or have any nitpicks, I'm all ears. As much as I love a positive review or comment, I also love being told how badly I've messed up something; especially if I'm told how to fix it. I have to learn somehow.**

 **Also, I have an update history and plan on my profile for those interested. If you ever want to know roughly when to expect the next update, it's on there.**

 **See you next time.**


	7. Fight

**Welcome to chapter seven. I know it's early; I just don't see the point in waiting Three more days to post this when I've already finished this chapter and started on the next.**

 **A/N is at the bottom, again.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Spyro awoke. He was still troubled by his nightmares, but was comforted by the knowledge that Ignitus might be able to help. He walked over to his door, nudging it open and walking proudly through it.

"About time you got up. I've been waiting for hours. It's almost mid-day!"

"Sparx? You sound different…" Spyro glanced around, noticing something out of place to his right as he went. He looked both ways, then nearly cricked his neck as he spun back to his right. There was Cynder, standing just down the hall from him.

 _What's she doing here?_

"Sparx? Do I look like a dragonfly to you, purple boy?"

Spyro barely managed to hold her gaze. When he spoke, his words were stuttering. "Uh. No. Definitely not."

Cynder smiled at him, then looked away, a frown on her features.

"What is it?" Spyro walked closer, lowering his head with concern as he tried to discern her emotions. He made sure to keep his distance though. It could be a trap. Get him to drop his guard, then stab him with her serrated tail-blade when he got close. It would be too easy.

"I need to talk to Ignitus about something. I thought maybe you might want to ask him something too. I don't know what…"

Spyro felt that she wanted him to come for other reasons, but brushed away the thought. It was just wishful thinking on his part; not for the first time, either. She had no reason to trust him, or so much as like him, regardless if her recent advances showed otherwise. As it was, he didn't even know whether to trust her.

"I do need to talk to Ignitus, actually. I've been having some… nasty, nightmares lately."

He saw recognition in Cynder's eyes, and she looked up at him.

"Nightmares? The same has been happening to me. That's what I came to ask about. Do you think our problems are related? It's an unlikely coincidence."

Spyro was troubled by her revelation. While on one paw she could have been lying in an attempt to trick him, she could have also been telling the truth. If she was, then the dreams might mean a lot more than he previously thought. Maybe Ignitus really was the best person to ask. He seemed to know a lot about visions.

"I don't know. We'll go ask Ignitus. He might know."

With a nod, they set off for another section of the temple. Eventually, they arrived at Ignitus' study, whereupon Spyro knocked on the door.

A muffled sound came from within. It could have been anything from a sigh, to a book being closed. The door opened wide, and the fire guardian peered down at the pair. His eyes didn't look as warm as they usually did.

"Spyro. Good to see you." His words, though their meaning was clear, lacked conviction. Ignitus turned to Cynder. "Ah. Cynder, wasn't it? Good to see you again."

She nodded

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Spyro responded. "We need to ask some questions. In private."

Ignitus' eyes seemed amused, but Spyro couldn't work out why. _What is so amusing about needing to talk to him in private?_

"Very well. Come in. There are some pillows near the far wall." The fire guardian stepped aside, and they walked in.

Spyro dragged two small pillows to the centre of the room, facing a larger one that Ignitus was settling on.

"I'm not hopeless, you know. I could have gotten a pillow myself," Cynder said. Still, Spyro could see the thanks in her eyes.

"So… What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Cynder and I have been having nightmares lately. I didn't find out until this morning, though. We thought they might be connected, but I'm worried either way. My nightmares don't seem… normal."

Beside him, Cynder nodded.

"I see…" Ignitus looked away for a moment, lost in thought. "Well. These nightmares could mean anything. Based on your fears of them, and on the fact that they seem different, as you put it, I would say they are visions. Of what, I can't be sure. Maybe the past, maybe the future. What did you dream of?"

"I dreamed I was back in Concurrent Skies, and then of the Belt of Fire."

"And I… I dreamed I was being tortured."

Shock registered on Spyro and Ignitus' faces. For a moment, Spyro considered placing a wing over her for comfort, but changed his mind.

"Well. Spyro. I see that your dreams are of the past. Yours, though, Cynder, I can't be sure about. I imagine that you are seeing your future, though I hate to condemn you with such a fate. See if you have more of these nightmares, and then maybe I can be of more help. I'm not sure why you are seeing these things, especially at this time, but I'm sure it is nothing to worry about."

Spyro and Cynder nodded. Rising, they left.

* * *

The golden dragonfly hovered in a clearing, gazing longingly at a tree. He seemed to be muttering to himself, but from a distance it was hard to tell.

"You purple lump. If you don't come soon, I'm going to come to Warfang and give you a beating. You said you would come…"

The dragonfly didn't notice wings fluttering behind him until the owner was right behind him.

"You miss him, don't you?" the voice was gentle and soothing.

"Yeah…"

"Then why don't you go visit? It's only a few days travel. You could be there and back within a month."

"But. I have friends here. I have a family. As much as I miss the big lug, I'm a dragonfly; not a dragon. Warfang is no place for me, Mum."

Nina sighed. "Okay, Sparx. You don't have to go, I just thought you would want to."

Sparx was about to reply that he did, but Nina had already gone. He turned back to the tree dejectedly.

* * *

Spyro made for the exit to the temple, Cynder trailing along behind him. He had training with Terrador and Volteer later, but until then he was content to bide his time. Whether that time would be spent with Cynder, or exploring Warfang alone, he was yet to decide. She seemed so kind; so familiar, but at the same time, he had lost his trust in her.

The Chronicler's words echoed in his head on a loop.

He no longer knew who to trust.

* * *

Cynder eyed Spyro warily. He seemed more distant than usual. She knew that he would be confused by her sudden unexpected, and unexplained advances, but he didn't seem confused. He seemed… untrusting.

She worried for a moment if she had done something by accident to put him off, and realised that perhaps she had. Her sudden advances must have come across differently than she first thought. Instead of confusing him, she had actually made him question his trust of her.

"Is everything all right Spyro? Did I do something to upset you?"

Spyro looked at her with eyes that betrayed a hidden confusion. He really was confused. _But there has to be more to it than that…_

The purple dragon opened his mouth to speak, just as the doors to the temple swung open. Quake strode purposefully forward. He sneered at the two.

"The traitors. Should have known you would be here. Here to manipulate the guardians?"

"Piss off, Quake," Cynder spat.

Spyro remained silent. Cynder knew that he wanted nothing to do with her confrontation with Quake. It was her battle, and Spyro knew that she wanted to handle it alone. If things got serious, though, she knew he would step in.

The earth dragon's lip curled as he smiled. It looked more like a disturbing grimace carved into his face by an amateur sculptor than a smile though. When he spoke, only two words came out.

"Make me."

Cynder tensed, ready to pounce on his stupid, ugly face and rip him limb from limb. A nightmare from a long time ago sprang to mind, remembering a dream in which she had done just that. She quickly relaxed and looked away from Quake, guilt entering her thoughts.

She heard Quake laugh as he walked further into the temple and she bit her tongue to hold back an angry retort. Blood filled her muzzle.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Spyro fighting an internal battle, his features scrunched in concentration. She knew it had to do with her. Eventually, he seemed to come to a decision and shuffled closer to her.

"Are you alright Cynder? You were right about him. Quake's just a bully."

She nodded. _He was deciding whether or not to comfort me, wasn't he?_ She felt a wave of sadness sweep over her. She had felt that they had been growing closer, but she had only driven him away.

 _Stupid damned voice in my head!_ she screamed into her thoughts. The voice responded.

 _Now, now Cynder. I will have none of that. It's not your fault that Spyro is acting this way. Someone else has meddled with him. You must find out who._

Cynder felt compelled to follow the voices instruction. It seemed so sincere.

"Spyro… I need to know."

"Need to know what Cynder?" She noticed him edge backwards a little and gulped.

"I need to know whether or not you trust me, Spyro. What did I do wrong?"

Spyro looked away uneasily. "It's nothing Cynder. Just… don't worry about it."

Spyro's evasiveness only drove her further to press an answer out of him.

"Come on Spyro. We both know that isn't true." She stepped towards him. Spyro took a step back at the same time; Cynder matched him. She ignored his protests and continued to edge forward. Eventually, he hit the far wall, trapped. The dark dragoness pressed a paw to his chest, pinning him to the stone.

"Spyro. You are going to tell me what is going on, or I am going to hold you here until you do."

"Cynder."

"Answer the question!" she screeched. Her patience had run out. Old instincts she never knew she had were taking over. "WHAT. IS. WRONG?!"

Silence ensued.

She blinked, noticing for the first time the horror on the purple dragon's features. She slowly lowered her paw, walking away. She shook her head in shock, unable to comprehend what she had just done. Never in her life did she remember treating someone in such a way.

She glanced back to Spyro, seeing once more his look of terror. Guilt washing through her, she turned and ran.

She never heard Spyro call after her.

She never heard his plea to stop.

* * *

 **Your opinions on this chapter would be much appreciated.**

 **I think this chapter could have been better, but I'll leave that to your judgement.**

 **'** **See' you in the next chapter.**


	8. Quake

**Welcome to chapter eight. As per the last two chapters, the a/n is at the bottom, and I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Spyro was confused… perhaps that was an understatement. Spyro was completely, and utterly, dumbfounded.

He no longer knew who to trust. Cynder had just screamed at him, but then shown such pure remorse, he had trouble believing she had lashed out at him intentionally. She hadn't meant to yell at him, her emotions had just boiled over. He had been evasive, and eventually, she had just snapped.

He had no other close friends to be worried about trusting. Only Flame and Ember were his friends, apart from Cynder, and he hadn't seen them for three whole days.

He had never been very close with the guardians, either. Cyril was too pompous and arrogant to treat Spyro as an individual worth socialising with; Volteer spoke both too fast and too much to make good conversation; and Terrador was the opposite of Volteer. He spoke little, and he was overly blunt. The perfect military commander, but not an experienced conversationalist.

And then there was the matter of Ignitus. Ignitus was acting strange. He was as confused about Ignitus as he was about Cynder and having his confusion split between the two exacerbated both problems. It made two small hills seem like a single giant mountain. He couldn't climb it alone, but there was no one he could trust enough to help him.

 _Maybe the Chronicler was right. I need to trust those closest to me. But_ who _is closest to me?_

The rest of the day passed quickly. His training with the guardians coming and going without incident. Volteer lectured him on various fighting techniques and dragon lore, then sent him to train and test his new knowledge with Terrador. He was sore of both mind and body when he retired for the night.

Setting aside his worries and confusion, he allowed himself to enter a drifting state, eventually floating into the abyss of sleep.

* * *

Frost cursed to himself. For the tenth time that night, Cynder had awoken with a scream. He hadn't even bothered to close his eyes. He knew what would happen every time she fell asleep. He began to wonder why she bothered trying to sleep at all.

When she arrived back at the dorm, racked by sobs; trembling all over, he had known something was terribly, terribly wrong. Wrong enough to worsen her nightmares, though, was not what he had expected.

He hadn't expected her emotions to extend into her nightmares at all. He was on the verge of telling her to sleep in the hallway so he might get a full night's sleep, what was left of it, but dismissed the thought as cruel.

"Cynder. Calm down. It's alright." His tone was tired.

"It's not alright!" her voice came out as a near screech, but her voice was less angry than frightened. "I'm a monster!"

"No you're not Cynder. It's just a dream." He tried to calm her, taking on a more soothing tone. It had no effect.

As Cynder spoke, her voice rose in pitch, terror seizing her. "But it's not, Frost. Don't you understand? It's me. I killed so many, I've just forgotten. Quake was right all along. I did kill his parents. I even know their names!"

Frost was momentarily taken aback, and took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Come on. We're going to the guardians." He rose, forcing Cynder to stand and pushing her towards the door. She seemed on the verge of lashing out at him for making her move, but caved and allowed him to guide her to the temple. It was raining outside.

Thoroughly drenched, and scared out of her wits by her nightmares, Cynder arrived at the temple. She shivered against Frost, who supported her as they stumbled into the temple.

Spyro was waiting for them, a glint in his eyes.

* * *

For the first time, Spyro saw the beast in his dreams for what it really was. In another nightmare, Spyro once again found himself in Concurrent Skies. He fought his way to the top of the crystal fortress, and there he beheld Ignitus, caged as usual.

And then the beast arrived.

Cynder stood before Spyro, a malicious smile on her face. She reared back on to all fours, then struck down. Spyro's vision cut to black, shock and horror scrawled across his features.

When he awoke in the middle of the night, he knew what he had to do. Cynder had abused his trust, getting close to him, just so she could kill him. Just so she could finish the mission she failed all those years ago.

She had been clever too. She had made him forget all about her, then disguised herself as a young dragoness, however she had done that, and then earned his trust. Her plan would have worked had Spyro not had this nightmare.

The nightmare fit his previously blank memory so well, he was certain it was what had really happened. And now Cynder would pay. No more would she trick him with her black lies.

Within minutes, Spyro found himself standing at the entrance to the temple. Lightning crashed outside, thunder rumbling in its wake. Flashes illuminated the windows, casting sudden lights across the dark room.

The atrium no longer seemed like the entrance to a grand building, and never again would it be. It was an arena. A place where Spyro would take his revenge on the dragoness that had tricked him and assisted the dark master.

He didn't know how long he would have to wait.

He no longer cared.

* * *

"Spyro? What are you doing up?"

Cynder eyed the purple dragon carefully. She noticed the snarl curling his lip.

"You betrayed my trust. You served the dark master. You didn't just betray me: you betrayed us all."

A low, hearty chuckle filled the space. Quake strode into view.

"The 'almighty purple dragon', finally works it out. Go on Spyro, do it."

Cynder eyed the purple dragon warily. She didn't know what to expect from him.

"Spyro…" she murmured. The purple dragon's eyes snapped to her for a brief moment, then he looked away. His gaze remained locked on Quake.

"Do it, Spyro. Get your revenge on that dark beast."

Cynder watched in horror as Spyro's eyes became indecisive. He was actually considering attacking her…

"Spyro," she said again.

When Spyro finally turned to her, his decision was made. Dark spread across his scales, not even the flashes of lightning illuminating them. She saw Quake smile with a joy to match her dread.

Without warning, Spyro shot forward, elemental attacks lashing from his maw as he ran. She barely avoiding being skewered by a shard of ice, just to dodge headlong into a fireball, she hit the ground, hard.

Frost was still up, and planted himself in front of her. As Spyro drew closer. He began firing ice back at the purple dragon. He was severely mismatched, but still fought hard.

Quake watched on from the sidelines, occasionally shouting encouragement to Spyro; telling him to hurry up and finish Frost so he could witness his revenge on Cynder.

Cynder felt a swell of gratitude for the ice dragon, but her emotions were tempered by an overruling feeling of dread and confusion. She couldn't work out why Spyro would lash out at her like this, and she didn't know if she would survive. Killing intent was clear in his eyes.

She glared over at Quake, finding the strength to stand in her hatred of him. He was encouraging Spyro to attack his friends. He deserved no mercy. She dashed for the earth dragon, but he saw her coming. His amused grin spread.

When Cynder was within a few steps, Quake shot an earth missile at her, she barely dodged, only to crash headlong into a wall. She heard the sounds of combat behind her. Before Cynder could recover, the wall slowly reached out to imprison her.

Quake strode over to the now imprisoned dragoness. She glared at him even more, the slim hope that maybe her hatred would scare him into freeing her surfacing. His triumphant smile only grew.

Without a word, the earth dragon turned to watch Spyro fighting Frost. He was clearly content to wait so he might take his revenge with the purple dragon.

Dodging and weaving about Spyro's attacks, Frost managed to stay up. He shot back at the purple dragon whenever he could, knowing that mercy was no longer an option. If he showed mercy, he wouldn't survive another second.

Even so, slowly Spyro wore Frost down. Cynder noticed as his movements slowed while the purple dragon retained his speed. Frost slumped, tired, and Spyro wasted no time firing a bolt of electricity at him.

Cynder let out a scream of horror to match Frost's pain as he crumpled to the ground. He was still breathing, but he was in obvious agony. Cynder watched on as he struggled to stand. Beside her, Quake flinched. The reaction seemed foreign to her. She had to have imagined it.

Seeing that Frost was down for the moment, Spyro turned his attention to Cynder. The dragoness was still trapped. She felt that she could do so much more, free herself and fight off Spyro and Quake single-handedly, but was too shocked to even raise a claw. Cynder was only able to watch on as Spyro stomped towards her, stopping a step away. She watched him draw in deep, ragged breaths.

He wasn't tired, he was angry. And the anger was directed at her, and her alone.

"You abused my trust Cynder. You served the dark master. You killed hundreds. You tipped the war in _his_ favour, and you almost got us all killed because of it. You don't deserve me, or anyone else. You deserve only punishment." He paused as he glared at Cynder, Quake nodding in agreement beside him. She looked at him with sad eyes.

She had just come to the same conclusion he had, through her own nightmares, just as he no doubt had through his. She was a murderer who served the dark master in the past. Even as she thought that, her body thrummed in response. She didn't know how, but it had to be true.

She watched as Spyro took in a deep breath, bracing for his devastating blow. Quake did the same. They would take their revenge together.

Cynder's eyes clenched shut. She heard a blast, followed by a short whistling. There was a thud, another thump following after. Her heartbeat pounded in her head. After a few moments of silence, she opened her eyes.

she was still alive.

Before her was a scene straight out of one of her nightmares. Only this time, it was so, so much worse. And so much more surprising.

Quake was before her, his own blood streaming out of a hole that pierced his chest. Spyro was beyond him, his scales no longer tinged with their previous darkness.

Had Quake just… saved her? He couldn't have. She had to be dead; this couldn't be real.

As she struggled to work out what had happened, Spyro slumped to the ground. Frost was in the distance, eyeing Quake with confusion. Quake laughed bitterly as he turned to look at her.

"You… saved me?" She couldn't believe the words.

"Long story… I'll explain later. I still don't like you. Trust me there, I want you to suffer."

"Then why save me?"

"Because You don't deserve to die." He paused before continuing.

"No one does."

* * *

 **I think I have a continuity error in this chapter. If you spot it, you get… recognition? Sure, why not?**

 **'See' you for the next chapter.**


	9. Remember

**Chapter nine.**

 **Heavily,** ** _heavily,_** **revised, chapter nine.**

 **Enjoy?..**

* * *

Spyro sat with Cynder in Ignitus' study, neither knowing what to say. A lot had happened in the last few hours, and they both needed time to order their thoughts.

Shuffling restlessly, Spyro looked towards the door as it creaked open and two fire dragons strode through. For a few minutes, they discussed things.

Realising that Spyro and Cynder were in no mood to talk though, and that neither wanted to explain what had just happened, they left shortly.

Ignitus came in a few minutes later, glancing between the two mute dragons. Neither had moved, and neither had spoken a word to the other. They had both started to get closer together, just to see their dark sides and be driven apart. Spyro's darkness, and Cynder's evil past.

"Young dragons." Neither of them looked at him, but they nodded in acknowledgement.

"I have something to show you."

They looked at him then, waiting for him to reveal something. As they did, though, they felt their eyelids grow heavy, sliding shut.

Silently, the two slumped to the ground, entering a realm of darkness as their nightmares took them to places they had long forgotten.

* * *

Spyro bolted through the tight tunnels. Around him, the mountain shook as it became increasingly unstable. He didn't have much time. Lanterns swung on the walls, the lights dancing around Spyro and making the world spin.

Ahead, he heard the crack of pickaxes striking stone as the Manweersmalls worked in slavery. He had to save them before it was too late, but he had to save Terrador too. As a particularly strong tremor jostled him off balance, almost sending him careening into a pool of lava, he had to wonder if he could save both in time, or if he would have to choose.

He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Putting on another burst of speed, he shot out into an open cavern; apes patrolled the area, Manweersmalls scattered about the place, occasionally pausing for a break, just to be forced back into action by a nearby ape.

Giant pools of hot liquid were spotted about the place, making the space stiflingly hot. The cavern was dimly lit, revealed only by the light of the lava, but it was enough to see by.

Spyro watched on in horror as a Manweersmall who fell to his knees in exhaustion, legs quivering beneath him, was lashed harshly across the back for not doing his work.

Seeing the mistreatment of the Manweersmalls only pushed Spyro to faster speeds. He dashed through the apes, leaving in each a lethal gash, and feeling the slightest pang that he had to cause harm, but deciding that they deserved it. They were vile creatures who never treated others well. It was time they got what was coming to them.

The purple blur continued to cut through ranks of apes, freeing Manweersmalls from their labour as he went. He soon realised, as he stood panting in the lava-lit cavern, that there were no apes left. His body still ached for more though, and his claws twitched in preparation for the next strike they would never deal.

Coming down from his high, Spyro made his way to an opening, opposite where he had entered, and began the trek down the long tunnel. At the end, Steam waited for him.

The conductor laughed as he clambered onto the back of Steam. Spyro didn't join him, settling into a fighting stance.

The engine began to move, setting a steady pace around the central chamber of the volcano. Magma bubbled below and Spyro felt queasy flying over it. He had bigger problems than falling into the lava though, when Steam began throwing fireballs at him as the conductor continued to cackle.

Spyro prepped an ice shot, if only to silence the conductor, but was forced to swerve suddenly to the side to avoid an oncoming fireball, and felt the ice melt in his mouth. He glared at the engine, and charged another bolt, waiting patiently for an opening to attack as he continued to follow the train, dodging its missiles.

His opening came, and he shot a bolt of ice with all his might. It whistled through the air, and he followed its path as it flew along, dead on course to strike one of Steam's giant wheels. Then, the conductor reached down, swiping out with a rapier. The ice shattered, and fell harmlessly into the lava below. Spyro watched as it bubbled and fizzed before settling once more.

He cursed the conductor and his maniacal laughing, lashing out once more with another attack. The attack went wide, and, while Spyro was glowering at the conductor, Steam scored a direct hit to Spyro's chest. He fell, spinning through the air.

As he fell, his true position dawned on him, realising he was going to land in the lava, and there was nothing he could do. There was no way he could correct his course now. It was too late.

Spyro's descent ended; Steam continued its loop of the central chamber. The conductor continued laughing, and Spyro realised that the ground beneath him was hot, but not like lava. It felt more like… metal.

He was on the tracks.

Steam had almost completed a full loop now, nearing where Spyro was as the conductor became ever more amused.

In a last-ditch effort at survival, Spyro shot a bolt of ice with all his might. The conductor reached down, evil grin still stretched across his face, his rapier connecting with the bolt of ice.

Spyro remembered now the look of horror on the conductor's face as his rapier shattered, the bolt of ice continuing undisturbed to crash into Steam's driving axles. The engine clunked and whirred, before wobbling unsteadily on its rails to crash into the lava as it toppled.

Spyro looked away.

He landed near Terrador, and together, they prepared to leave. He saw something move in the corner of his eye, but when he looked, there was nothing there. He shrugged, and turned back to follow Terrador.

With a blood-curdling roar, a great beast leapt from the lava.

Spyro heard Terrador yelling for him to go, but he stood firm. He wasn't leaving him behind.

Cynder swooped down, grabbing a large crystal, then begin to fly away. Terrador took after her with a few powerful flaps, but with a single, unexpected attack, she sent him crashing back down.

Spyro still didn't move, rooted in place by fear. As Cynder, turned around and swooped back towards him, though, he jumped into action. Running as fast as his legs would carry him, he leapt into a small tunnel and flew through it, Cynder right behind him.

Shooting out the other end of the cramped space, Spyro flapped his wings as hard as he could. He heard a snap behind him. He could hear wing-beats.

They were getting closer.

Without warning, Ignitus smashed into Cynder. They fought for a moment, each trying to get the upper hand.

Spyro watched in horror as they plummeted to the ground below.

Finally catching up, Terrador led Spyro away.

Spyro blinked, and the world around him faded away.

* * *

Cynder strutted along, a dark hallway stretching before her. It was dimly lit despite the regularly placed windows. There was no light where she lived. No light but the flashes of lightning.

Concurrent Skies was her home, and she found she liked it. She lived in isolation, away from those stupid apes that she only kept for their necessity in the coming battles, with the dreadwings who couldn't annoy her. They didn't speak a language she understood, so she just ignored them.

Then again, it wasn't entirely that she didn't understand them. It was just that they often spoke in grunts, so she didn't bother trying to understand them. It was the same to her, either way.

They had quickly learned to leave her alone, too. Something the apes were still learning. She found it almost pitiful how dumb the apes could be, sometimes.

She reached the end of the hall and pushed through a large door. Her subordinates found it imposing for its size and darkness, but she found it comforting. It was yet another way to keep others away.

That, and it made scaring away the brave souls who reached her that little bit easier. _How pathetic to be scared of a door._

Cynder sat before a window to the left side of the room. It was her favourite place to sit and brood. Few came to this chamber to see her, and sitting where she was, where the only view was of clouds and barren, desolate lands filled with dark crackling crystals, she cut a nightmare-worthy figure.

She believed nothing could be more frightening than her, and she was proud of that. She liked being able to sit alone, comforted that no one would disturb her out of fear, and that soon, her master would be reborn. Her master would return, and no one could stop her.

She had Ignitus now, the final piece to her puzzle, and the purple whelp would be easy enough to deal with if he arrived.

That tiny purple dragon had caused her more difficulty than she liked. He had already freed the other free guardians. Not that he'd harmed her plans in any way, he was just an annoyance.

She was certain the other guardians wouldn't come to her lair, still recovering from their imprisonment. So instead, they would send a whelpling purple dragon. Silly guardians.

They were sending him to his doom. Soon, she would put him in his place. The second purple dragon, and last hope for the guardians, crushed shortly before her master returned to destroy them.

With only time to pass before the purple dragon arrived, she looked to the horizon where storm cloud met earth, debating how she would kill him. She thought she saw something red shifting in the distance, but it was gone before she could focus on it.

* * *

When Spyro's eyes reopened, he was back at the temple. Sparx hovered at his side as they walked through the gardens. He'd forgotten why he was outside instead of sleeping, but continued to walk.

Maybe he would find something.

Eventually, he came across Cynder. She seemed to be going somewhere, but she stopped when he called out.

"Cynder what are you doing out here? It's dangerous."

"You shouldn't have followed me Spyro"

"That's good enough for me. Let's go. See ya!" Sparx chimed in.

The two dragons ignored him.

"Please, don't make this harder for me than it already is." Her eyes were pleading.

"I'm just trying to understand."

Cynder couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm leaving Spyro, I don't belong here." She paused. "After all I've done, all I've put you through… I can't stay."

Spyro tried to catch her eye as he spoke. "Cynder, nobody blames you for what happened."

"Huh, I do. Speak for yourself." They both turned to the dragonfly.

"Sparx…" Spyro chided.

Cynder finally looked Spyro in the eye.

"No, Sparx is right. And every day that goes by, I'm reminded of it. Spyro, your place is here, your destiny is here. But mine is somewhere out there for me to find."

"Cynder, I don't want you to go."

Cynder couldn't meet his eyes anymore, and, saying goodbye, she turned and ran into the dark forest. Spyro moved to follow, but stopped, shaking his head. He still couldn't understand why she would leave.

While Sparx quipped about the full-night's rest he would finally get, Spyro felt himself being drawn away. His body began to tremble, and he looked about uncertainly.

Without warning, he collapsed.

* * *

Spyro saw light through his eyelids, and forced them open.

Around him, a fire raged. It was so close, but a barrier seemed to be holding it back. He saw Ignitus next to him, Cynder on his other side.

The barrier flickered, and Ignitus seemed to struggle for a moment to maintain it. Spyro glanced at the guardian worriedly.

The shield held, and Spyro stopped walking.

"Ignitus, let's turn back! There's got to be another way!"

The fire guardian's voice was strained with effort as he spoke. "Spyro, Cynder… I have never done right by either of you. Allow me to do this…"

Spyro didn't understand. _Hasn't done right by either of us? He's wrong!_

"What are you saying?!" he said.

"My path ends here. But yours lies beyond this. Draw strength from each other, and follow your heart…" Ignitus directed his last words at Spyro. "It will never fail you…"

"Now go… Go… Go!" And the fire dragon sent both of them flying, the last of his strength wrapping around them in a bubble of vibrant blue. They landed roughly on the ground, and Spyro instantly turned back to the wall of flames.

"Ignitus… Nooooo…!"

Cynder moved behind him, but he didn't hear her.

"Spyro, stop! It's too late! You can't do anything for him now!"

Spyro couldn't believe it. _Wouldn't_ believe it. Ignitus couldn't be gone. He was still in the belt somewhere, struggling to withstand the flames. He _had_ to still be alive.

Spyro turned to Cynder. She was lying to him.

"No… He isn't gone…"

"Spyro… Let it go."

Cynder was lying. Ignitus was still alive. He was certain of it. How could she think he was gone?

Spyro felt a tingle crawl along his darkening scales, and within a moment, he had turned completely on Cynder.

"No!" His voice had dropped several octaves, becoming a voice hardly recognisable as his own.

He felt himself rise off the ground, and held there, looking down on Cynder as his darkness took over.

"No! Spyro, don't!"

He didn't heed her words. Ignitus was alive, and she was telling him he wasn't. He had thought she cared…

Ignitus wasn't gone.

"You can't stop me!"

"You're right. Only you can do that. Please Spyro. Don't do this."

For a moment, he held on to a firm belief that Ignitus was still alive, that he couldn't have just sacrificed himself for them; that he had found some way out. But then something in him snapped, and his eyes softened. He felt himself fall to earth as the darkness was stripped from his scales.

For a moment, he could do nothing more than look at the ground until Cynder approached.

"We have to go on. He wanted us to."

"It wasn't supposed to be like this." He paused, tears pulling at the corners of his eyes. He strained to hold them back. "I feel so alone."

Cynder stepped closer, pulling his eyes to hers. With all the sincerity she could muster, she spoke.

"You're not alone."

The two nuzzled, and Spyro closed his eyes.

* * *

The two dragons awoke to Ignitus' study. The fire dragon had moved, now sitting on a large, golden pillow. The two dragons were likewise placed on a pillow each.

For a moment, no one spoke, but finally Spyro couldn't take it anymore.

"Ignitus… What was that?"

"That, young dragon, was your past. I took it from you when you returned to Warfang five months ago."

"But why? Why would you take my memories?"

"Spyro, your memories tie you to Cynder. Without them, you would have no reason to trust her. If you were then told, not knowing anything of her, that she was ex 'Terror of the Skies', would you trust her? Answer truthfully Spyro."

The purple dragon thought for a moment. He didn't want to admit the truth, but Ignitus was right. He wouldn't trust her at all. He shook his head reluctantly.

"And if, per se, you were then forced into your 'dark state' while you were near Cynder, would you attack her?"

Spyro honestly didn't know. He hated to think that he would attack Cynder.

 _But I just did. And in the same manner that Ignitus is describing._

"Why are you asking this?"

"Because, Spyro, I wanted to watch the world burn, and you foiled my plans."

Spyro raised an eye ridge; tried to move backwards, but found he was too shocked to move.

"Spyro, I want to destroy the world, but you and Cynder pose a real threat to that goal. So, I plotted a way of shifting the two of you aside so I could proceed with destroying the world, as Malefor would have done if you hadn't stopped him."

"But… you died in the Belt of Fire. I just saw that happen! And you never wanted to destroy the world! Who are you?!"

"Spyro, I am a dragon. Who I am doesn't matter."

"But… It doesn't make sense. And, if you wanted us dead, why haven't you killed us yet?"

"I haven't killed you yet, because I no longer wish to destroy the world. I wanted to destroy it, to wipe dragon-kind off the map… but what would that achieve? I realise, only now, after all these years, that destroying the world will achieve nothing. Not all dragons are evil, as Malefor believed when he was banished and began his crusade.

"He influenced me. I believed that a dragon as powerful as him had to be right. If he believed the dragon race was evil, then he must be right. But seeing Quake, a dragon I previously believed to be nothing more than a malicious, revenge-seeking beast, risk his life to save Cynder… I realised that perhaps Malefor was wrong. Maybe, just maybe, dragons are actually good.

"Spyro, Cynder… With or without your blessing, I have decided to change my ways. No more will I seek to destroy the world, only rebuild it, after the destruction I helped Malefor dealt."

"Ign… great dragon. Who are you really?"

"I am Ignitus' brother. I inherited a stronger sight than him, allowing me to see not just the future, but the past. Ignitus inherited a stronger fire than I did though. That is why he became guardian, while I became… nobody. I became an outcast, rejected for my ability to read the thoughts of others. I turned to Malefor, who promised me revenge against the hateful, evil dragons who wronged us."

He sighed.

"it was all just a lie. I am sorry, Spyro. Cynder… I have caused you both too much pain. For now, I will stay here and rest; plan out my journey when I leave this place. I can only hope you will forgive me."

The two young dragons, seeing the dismissal, and not knowing what to say, rose and left.

In the corridor, they turned to face each other.

"Spyro?"

"Cynder."

Stepping closer, they embraced, wrapping each other in a hug powerful enough to make up for all they had missed.

If only they never had to.

* * *

 **Four complete rewrites, a helpful critique, and many, many hours later, I present this chapter, in all its 3,279 word glory.**

 **Whether this was worth the time it took… That's up to your judgement. I'm happy with it, even if you aren't. If you aren't happy, let me know why, so I can learn from it.**

 **See you for the next chapter. The final one, at that.**


	10. Recovery

**Welcome to the final chapter of Stolen Memory.**

 **Welcome to Chapter 10.**

* * *

 _Spyro and Cynder,_

 _It's time I took my leave._

 _I have caused you more harm than you deserve for your deeds._

 _You deserve praise and worship, not death or condemnation._

 _In time, I hope you can forgive me._

\- _Fortus_

That was the last Spyro ever heard of Ignitus' brother. He had disappeared in the night; left for ancestors knew where. Maybe they would meet again one day. Spyro didn't know if that was a good thing.

He was caught between disbelief and anger. A part of him clung to the belief that the past few months had been nothing more than a bad dream.

The other half to a chance at revenge when they finally met again.

Sooner or later, it was likely they would meet again. When they did…

He would work it out.

* * *

Spyro walked merrily down a blank, seemingly endless hallway. He knew that one of the many branching rooms held Frost, and another Quake, but he was too happy to be worried about their well being.

It wasn't that he didn't care, by all means he was quite worried. He was worried especially about Quake, who he had just shot with a shard of ice. Spyro was sure he wouldn't die from the injury, he was too tough for that, but it could still have lasting effects.

He wasn't fretting over them, because, for the first time in months, he was with Cynder. He had felt so lonely without her, that having her back was like losing his wings, then having them reattached. She was a big part of his life, and without her it felt… empty.

Though he hadn't remembered her, her missing presence had still left him feeling hollow. With her back at his side, he felt complete. There was nothing more he could think of that would fulfil him any more.

Spyro noticed, through his haze of joy, his wing over Cynder's back. Not reluctantly, or impulsively, as it had been when they had gone out together the day before, but because it felt genuinely right. Cynder's back was where his wing should be, not stuck to his side all the time.

Cynder caught him looking at her, and proffered a wide smile. He melted in the hallway, his wing on Cynder's back the only thing keeping him standing.

 _Ancestors I've missed her._

They eventually arrived in a doorway, through which they could see a light-blue dragon. He seemed to be alright, though he gave the odd twitch. Spyro winced, stalling mid-step while Cynder continued ahead. She cast a concerned glance back at him; he swallowed and followed her in.

Frost's eyes seemed to light up at the sight of Cynder, safe and sound, but a frown creased his features when he saw Spyro following her. He seemed to be caught between two opinions. Like he wanted to be happy, but at the same time, felt he should be angry.

 _The saviours of the realms were in the same room as him!.. But one of them just attacked him._

"Frost! Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm alright Cynder." Frost smiled tiredly.

"I'm sorry Frost," Spyro started. "I didn't mean to do that. I just… I… I don't even know." He sighed.

Frost was slow to respond. "It's… okay, Spyro." The purple dragon was caught between laughing at the déjà vu – Cynder had just said the same thing to him – and arguing otherwise, but Frost went on. "I know you would never do that to someone on purpose. I've heard the stories about when you saved those moles from the burning building. Just a minute ago Ignitus came in and told me about Cynder once being the 'Terror of the Skies', and how you saved her anyway. It's so strange. I thought Cynder was…" He paused, fishing about for a word.

Cynder filled it in for him. "Normal?"

"Yeah. Normal."

They all sat in companionable silence for a while, but eventually Spyro voiced one of his whirling thoughts.

"So… You forgive me? Even after I-"

"Yes, Spyro. I forgive you. I told you, it wasn't your fault." Spyro looked away. He still felt responsible for Frost's injury, dark side or not.

"I'm going to check on Quake," Spyro said, rising and turning to leave. Cynder caught his eye; she began to follow, but he waved her off. He would face Quake alone. Cynder wanted to be with Frost more than Quake and he knew it.

He stepped out into the corridor, turning left on a whim. He walked the winding halls for a while, giving himself time to absorb the full impact of Ignitus' words as he searched for Quake. It was a lot to take in, and he had been so happy to finally be reunited with Cynder after what he now realised was months, he hadn't taken the time to process his memories. He reached a dead end at the far end of the infirmary building, smacking himself in the face.

He was at the far end of the building, furthest from the main entrance. It only made sense that Quake would be closer to the entry, where the physicians were concentrated, rather than at the far end of the building. He had been hurt pretty bad.

Taking the long walk back to the entry, Spyro's thoughts resumed their pacing.

 _Ignitus died in the Belt of Fire. A stranger took his place. The stranger wanted to destroy the world. The stranger is out there… somewhere…_

Spyro paused. A strange dragon, who claimed to idolise Malefor and who attempted to kill Cynder, and use Spyro to destroy the world by disguising himself as Ignitus, was out there. He was free.

So what if he came back?

Spyro, feeling sick and disturbed by the possibility that he still might not be safe, picked up his pace and soon discovered Quake's room. The bulky dragon was sprawled across his pillows, thick bandages wrapped in copious amounts around a wound that was clearly still seeping blood. He looked pale even from the doorway, and Spyro gagged on his own guilt.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he stumbled clumsily through the doorway. He was so unstable on his feet, anyone would have placed him in a bed then and there, declaring him sick. As it was, only a lone Quake, mind foggy from blood-loss, was there to witness his clumsiness.

A grin split his muzzle, and Spyro didn't know whether to glare back or return the smile, so he stood there looking unsure. Quake only seemed more amused.

"I don't look that bad do I? You were walking just fine down that hallway 'til you saw me." Quake's voice sounded breathy, and came out as a near whisper that Spyro had to strain to hear.

Spyro decided now was the time to glare. Quake chuckled.

"Lighten up. Lighten up."

Taking another deep breath, Spyro sat on his haunches before Quake. He was about to ask Quake how he was, but realised he could tell just by looking. He decided to ask something he actually wanted to know the answer to. His mind wasn't in a state for bandying about words.

"Why did you take the hit? I thought you hated Cynder?"

Quake thought for a moment, looking almost as if he didn't know himself, then finally spoke.

"Ignitus forgot to take my memories. Which means I remember what Cynder means to you. Cynder took my parents from me. They were my only family, my life, ripped away in an instant by an evil black dragoness. My life goal became revenge on her. I would stop at nothing." Spyro started to put the pieces together, realisation dawning on his features as Quake continued his tale.

"I still want to see Cynder brought to justice for her crimes, but… killing her is not the justice she deserves. And, not only that, it would destroy you... The purple dragon, saviour of the realms, and my hero," Spyro swelled with pride, his heart skipping a beat that Quake would say such a thing. He had thought Quake to be no more than a common bully. He had been bullied plenty himself, a massive dragon raised among the tiny dragonflies, so he knew the type when he saw one. For Quake to compliment him. It was a twisting of the world. "and I would help you kill the only person you hold dear. I know what it's like to lose a loved one, having lost my parents, and for you to lose the only person you're truly close to after all you've done… I just couldn't let you do it."

Spyro sat there a moment, taking in Quake's words. Quake looked up to him. He might have been a bully, but he still had his heroes, just as Spyro looked up to the guardians. Quake was a dragon too, just like Spyro was.

And Quake had stopped Spyro out of… understanding. He knew what it was like to lose someone, and wanted to save Spyro from the same fate. Spyro realised then that, though he wasn't recognised for it, Quake was a hero in his own right. He had saved Cynder, and furthermore, Spyro's happiness, at the risk of his own life. He could have died, shot down by the one he called a hero, but he saw past that to what he could accomplish and saved another life.

Without even really thinking, Spyro stood, walking over to Quake. The bewildered earth dragon looked at him, confusion dominant on his face as Spyro wrapped him in a crushing hug. He hadn't meant to be so rough, but his gratitude towards Quake and his joy at being reunited with Cynder, coupled with the confusion and worry surrounding Ignitus, caused him to be rougher than he intended.

Quake yelped, and Spyro pulled back.

Rubbing his shoulder, Quake grinned at him, though it looked more like a grimace.

"I guess I'm forgiven for insulting Cynder and calling you a traitor then?"

Spyro nodded, then gave a smile of his own. Raising his paw, he spoke to Quake, who cracked a laugh, then left. Quake's laughs followed him down the hall as he returned to Frost and Cynder.

"Frenemies for life," Spyro said to himself with amusement.

* * *

Spyro sat with Cynder on the temple roof. In the distance, the sun brushed the horizon.

His wing was stretched across her back once more, draped over her like their silence. They didn't mind the quiet though. They both felt comfortable and content; without the need for conversation.

The day before sprang to mind. He had sat with Cynder in the park, neither really sure what they were doing, or what the other meant to them.

It was an afternoon that felt like it was months ago. Maybe reliving his memories had done that.

In his mind, he had gone from a young dragon who had just met the guardians, to a teenage dragon in Warfang, back to a young dragon caught in the middle of a war.

He knew where his memories belonged; the order they were really in, they just needed time to rearrange. And as long as that time was with Cynder, he was more than happy to wait.

The dark dragoness pressed her head into his muscular purple chest for a moment, then withdrew and looked into his amethyst eyes. He returned the look with the same intensity.

Wordlessly, they leaned in closer to the other, closing their eyes to experience the moment.

They met, and Spyro's world changed forever.

* * *

 **And so ends Stolen Memory.**

 **I have plans to come back to this, make some small changes, rephrase sections just simple things.**

 **I also want to write something else, maybe have some more thought out OC's and a decent plot. That won't be for a while though.**

 **I hope you enjoyed.**

 **\- Nuclear**

 **16-9-2017:**

 **I have another story posted now called Failed Prophecy. it isn't a sequel to this, though I might write one at some point.**


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